Nunavut's new curriculum emphasizes Inuit culture and language

The Nunavut government has created a new education curriculum for students in kindergarten to Grade 6, which focuses on Inuit language and culture. This curriculum will start being implemented in the 2025-2026 school year. Teachers gathered in Iqaluit last week to learn about the new curriculum, which will first be used in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. The government plans to introduce the curriculum to additional grades each year until it reaches Grade 12 by 2036. Education Minister Pamela Gross called this a significant milestone for Nunavut schools. Currently, Nunavut uses a curriculum from Alberta and other places. Gross emphasized that the new curriculum integrates Inuit traditional knowledge, culture, and language. Teaching materials will be available in both Inuktut and English. Ashley Tulugak, a program manager involved in developing parts of the curriculum, noted that first-grade students will learn about traditional naming practices. Students will explore their Inuktitut names and practice using kinship terms. The Nunavut Teachers Association (NTA) has expressed support for the new curriculum. President Justin Matchett highlighted that teachers have long requested resources to meet the government's expectations. However, he raised concerns about the need for more qualified teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively, especially since there are already many unqualified teachers in classrooms. Gross stated there are enough Inuktut-speaking teachers to start the rollout for kindergarten and Grade 1, but the territory always needs more educators. Community consultations are being finalized this month to gather input on how the curriculum will be taught in different languages. Local education authorities will decide their schools' language models.